The need for effective therapeutic treatment of patients has resulted in the development of a variety of techniques for delivering a pharmaceutical formulation to a patient. One traditional technique involves the oral delivery of a pharmaceutical formulation in the form of a pill, capsule, or the like. Inhalable drug delivery, where an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation is orally or nasally inhaled by a patient to deliver the formulation to the patient's respiratory tract, has also proven to be an effective manner of delivery. In one inhalation technique, a pharmaceutical formulation is delivered deep within a patient's lungs where it may be absorbed into the blood stream. In another inhalation technique, a pharmaceutical formulation is delivered locally to a particular site, such as an infected lung. Many types of inhalation devices exist including devices that aerosolize a dry powder pharmaceutical formulation.
One type of inhalation device aerosolizes a pharmaceutical formulation that is stored in a capsule. For example, a dose or a portion of a dose of a dry powder pharmaceutical formulation may be stored in a capsule, and the capsule may be inserted into an aerosolization device which is capable of aerosolizing the pharmaceutical formulation. The aerosolization may be accomplished by releasing stored energy. For example, the aerosolization may be accomplished by utilizing energy supplied during the user's inhalation, such as the flow of inhaled air, to aerosolize the pharmaceutical formulation.
Before, during or after being inserted into the aerosolization device, the capsule is opened to expose the pharmaceutical formulation. The opening of the capsule may be performed, for example, by puncturing the capsule, tearing the capsule, or separating the parts of the capsule. When the capsule is properly opened and when aerosolization energy is supplied, the pharmaceutical formulation is aerosolized so that it may be inhaled by the user and a dose or portion of a dose of the aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation may be delivered to the user's respiratory tract.
However, improper use of the aerosolization device may result in the delivery of less than the desired amount of the pharmaceutical formulation. For example, if a capsule is not properly or completely opened before the aerosolization process, the amount of pharmaceutical formulation being aerosolized may be reduced or the flow of the aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation may not be of sufficiently high quality to deliver a desirable amount to the user. In some instances, the opening mechanism can cause damage to the capsule and/or to the aerosolization apparatus, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical formulation delivery or limiting the lifetime of the apparatus.
Therefore, it is desirable to be able to improve the effectiveness and reproducibility of a capsule opening mechanism for an aerosolization apparatus. It is further desirable to be able to provide such capsule opening in a manner than increases the lifetime of the aerosolization apparatus.